Warriors
by Enby-Neti
Summary: The first keys of the song rang in the air, and Emma immediately kne that something wasn't right. She tightened her grip on the side of her coat. She had know this was a terrible idea. And apparently, she wasn't the only one. You can find this story on AO3, with my account Believs. Not a thief !
1. Chapter 1

_(English isn't my first langugage, I hope this is at least right enough. If you see any big errors, I'll gladly correct them)_

 _Disclaimer : Glee doesn't belong to me / The song, "Battle scars", is from Paradise Fears and I don't own it or them either. But they're great, listen to them. The one version here is closer to the acoustic_

* * *

 **NOT BORN THIS WAY**

Brad sighed deeply, looking at the piano part he was just handed to by one of the Glee Kids. He frowned. Those keys were certainly not the same Schuester had given him one week prior. And this was clearly not the song the club was supposed to song right now.

For a moment, he thought he would demand an explanation. The students had never done something so drastic about their teacher's assignments/song choices before. He was almost out of the stage, going to see William to question the sudden modifications of the number, when he saw the kids in a corner of the backstage.

They were all there, gathered in an awkward, tight and clearly needed hug. The little group was silent, holding onto the others like the world had just crumbled around them all. None moved out of their embrace, and the pianist felt like an intruder, as if he didn't have the right to see them like… well, like _this_.

Brad took one more look at his part. He mentally sung the keys to himself, trying to fit them to this different rhythm, this different tone, this different _song._ He sighed again, turning back to his piano.

Whatever.

The kids wanted this song ? They would have it.

* * *

"Well, guys, you're on !"

Will gave a thumbs up to the curtains, not even sure that the students heard him. At his side, Emma tightened her coat around her, as if she was cold. She had printed another shirt after the "Ginger" one, because obviously, everyone knew she'd never ever had a problem with that. But she still wasn't sure about this one. It was very…. Revealing.

She looked up at Will, who was still beaming at an empty stage, waiting for his pupils to begin their number.

Emma suddenly came to the conclusion that this whole thing was a really, _really_ bad idea.

And the students had apparently come to the same conclusion, as no one had appeared to begin the performance. Even the band wasn't there, as they had to be for this particular song to work out.

But Will hadn't seen that yet, as he was still smiling brightly and cheering.

Finally, she heard the first notes. A calm piano, introducing with clarity the number.

And she immediately knew that something wasn't right.

* * *

There wasn't any choreography, any student dancing and going onto stage. Will frowned, still glancing at the curtains, feeling a bit lost. That wasn't the song they agreed on, right ? He felt his own smile falter as the curtains opened.

 **This is an anthem for the homesick, for the beaten,**

 **The lost, the broke, the defeated.**

 **A song for the heartsick, for the standbys,**

 **Living life in the shadow of a goodbye.**

All of the glee club's members were on the floor, sitting in a circle and holding hands. None of them looked at him, eyes closed, swinging to the rhythm and keys.

Puck, between Santana and Tina, had sang the first part, his brown hoodie still on, like all the others. He didn't made any movement to reveal his shirt, his hand never leaving the girls'.

 **Do you remember when we learned how to fly?**

 **We'd play make-believe; we were young and had time on our side.**

 **You're stuck on the ground, got lost, can't be found.**

 **Just remember that you're still alive.**

Sam followed, Mercedes' hand squeezing his, his red hoodie matching her hairband. Artie was by his side, his wheelchair on the background.

Contrary to the original performance, they waited for one more measure, before they all sang the chorus together, in an incredible and never heard before harmony.

All of Will's anger and disappointment was brushed aside by their incredible voices.

 **I'll carry you home.**

 **No, you're not alone.**

 **Keep marching on,**

 **This is worth fighting for,**

 **You know we've all got battle scars.**

 **You've had enough,**

 **But just don't give up.**

 **Stick to your guns,**

 **You are worth fighting for.**

 **You know we've all got battle scars.**

 **Keep marching on.**

 **This is a call to the soldiers, the fighters,**

 **The young, the innocent, and righteous.**

 **We've got a little room to grow.**

 **Better days are near,**

 **Hope is so much stronger than fear.**

Santana took the verse, her melodious voice accompanied by Britt any on the last line. She squeezed the Hispanic girl's hand tightly, their hoodies both navy blue and tightly shut.

The blonde girl looked on her other side, holding Kurt's hand tighter than before, and Will just caught at this moment that they both looked ready to burst into tears.

 **So if you jump, kid, don't be scared to fall.**

 **We'll be kings and queens in this dream, all for one, one for all.**

 **You can light up the dark,**

 **There's a fire in your heart,**

 **Burning brighter than ever before.**

Tina shut her eyes firmly, almost crushing Puck's and Mike's hand in hers. She sang, her voice right and strong, but she felt that one single tear sliding down her cheek as the last world left her lips.

One measure, and once again, they were one unique voice.

 **I'll carry you home.**

 **No, you're not alone.**

 **Keep marching on,**

 **This is worth fighting for,**

 **You know we've all got battle scars.**

 **You've had enough,**

 **But just don't give up.**

 **Stick to your guns,**

 **You are worth fighting for.**

 **You know we've all got battle scars.**

 **Keep marching on.**

One, two, three measures, and as much nervous gulps between them that the spectators couldn't hear. All of them wanted to run away.

 **On and on, like we're living on a broken record.**

 **Hope is strong, but misery's a little quicker.**

 **Sit, and we wait, and we drown there,**

 **Thinking, "Why bother playing when it's unfair?"**

 **They say life's a waste, I say they lack belief.**

 **They tell me luck will travel, I tell 'em that's why I've got feet.**

 **Left, right, left, right,**

 **Moving along to the pulse of a heartbeat.**

 **This could be the last chance you have to fly.**

 **Do you like the ground? Want it to pass you by?**

 **Man, you had it all when you were just a kid.**

 **Do you even remember who you were back then?**

 **What do you want in life? Will you be twice as strong?**

 **What would you sacrifice? What are you waiting on?**

 **Don't stop, march on.**

Artie, once again, gave them an extraordinary rap performance, even without his usual tricks and physical accompaniment. He still didn't look at their public – if you could consider one jock and two professors a real public for a private and personal performance, really.

They once again waited longer than the original, four full measures, and for a second, Emma was sure that Brad had seen the kids needed a moment to pull themselves together.

The last chorus was by far the more beautiful.

Not by its exemplary technicality, the justness of each note or the piano playing beautifully behind them. All of this was perfect, and for Emma, perfection had always been something very important, but here, now, looking at these kids sitting in a circle, looking at these kids holding onto each other, looking at this _family_ , she knew why.

 **I'll carry you home.**

 **No, you're not alone.**

 **Keep marching on,**

 **This is worth fighting for,**

 **You know we've all got battle scars.**

 **You've had enough,**

 **But just don't give up.**

 **Stick to your guns,**

 **You are worth fighting for.**

 **You know we've all got battle scars.**

 **Keep marching on.**

They all got up, singing the last vocals all together, still holding onto one another. The piano stopped, and Brad would probably never say it, but he was really happy his part was cut there, because he wasn't sure he could have continued to play when the kids opened their hoodies.

Maybe he didn't like them as much as Will or Emma. Maybe he wasn't always the most comprehensive to them, or maybe he wasn't the biggest fan of the Glee club.

But kids like them should never have written those things to define themselves.

 **Oh-ohhhh-oh-ohhhh  
Oh-ohhhh-oh-ohhhh  
Oh-ohhhh-oh-ohhhh-ohhhhh**

 **Oh-ohhhh-oh-ohhhh**  
 **Oh-ohhhh-oh-ohhhh**  
 **Oh-ohhhh-oh-ohhhh-ohhhhh**

Finn and Rachel were the first ones to open their hoodies, as the leaders. Maybe because the others would never do it if someone didn't take a step forward. Maybe because Finn saw how Kurt and Brittany, crying in the silence, were ready to run away. Maybe because Rachel saw how Quinn and Puck tightened their grip onto their own hoodie.

They looked at each other, took a deep breath and opened their hoodie.

Finn's said "Orphaned Leader" and Rachel's "Anorexic Star".

Just that, and Will knew all hell had just broken loose in his life.

 **Keep marching on.**

With the last line, all of the others opened their hoodies, some of them with shaking hands, sobs or a true confidence and a look to the world, like daring the world to say anything to them.

Santana's spelled "Self-hating Bitch" and mirrored Mercedes' "Self-loathing Diva".

Puck's and Sam's were also similar. "Fatherless Badass" and "Homeless Heartbreaker".

The teacher could have almost taken Artie's and Tina's shirts as jokes if it didn't immediately made sense. "Sickly Standing" and "Clinically depressed Goth".

Mike and Matt both revealed the same thing about themselves. "Top grader Junkie" and "Best player Addict".

Lauren Zizes had just wrote "Once skank Sister" and held Quinn's hand despite their whole history for Prom when she revealed her "Useless Mother".

Emma would never ask if she talked about her mother or herself.

The two last members of the group, placed in the center, seemed like two children suddenly. They were crying without a sound, holding hands tightly. After what seemed like an eternity, they looked at each other, before opening their hoodies.

 **Keep marching on...**

"Fabulously Scar(r)ed" and "Raped dancing Fairy".


	2. Chapter 2

AN : Thank you very much to the two reviewers, I hope you'll like this chapter, even thoug I'll admit this is not what I intended to do in the first place... Well, we'll see.

* * *

 **Therapy at Rachel's**

* * *

William found himself speechless before his students, unable to say a single world as they stood on the stage, all of them silently sobbing. Even Puck and Santana were crying in the back, not even bothering to hide for their reputation.

Finn blinked harshly, wiping the remaining tears off his face. Mr Schue is still frozen in his seat, and the young lead doesn't need to look around to know that half of his friends are on the verge of breaking down.

He really tries not to look at Kurt and Brittany.

For a moment, Finn thought that maybe, _maybe_ they should stay and talk. Stay here, with Mr Schue who wasn't the best at talking things out except through song, but who was at the very least here.

(That's something new for a good chunk of them.)

There's Ms Pillsbury too, and maybe she could help them, even better than what Schuester could, but she was currently crying on their prof'shoulder and Finn didn't believe she was ready to talk right now.

They couldn't stay. Not like that. Not after that one performance.

So Finn, as the leader, took the next best decision.

"Well, hum, sorry Mr Schue, we got… Things to do. Hum, bye!"

One minute later, Rachel and he had ushered everyone out, not even bothering to take their own hoodies back when they saw some of the others closing them tightly.

* * *

After a phone call to her dads, Rachel took Mercedes, Quinn, Tina and Lauren with her, leaving Finn to take care of the rest of the group.

While driving, she couldn't help but think that the others should have come with them. Obviously she knew that her car couldn't hold all of them, and even with Finn, they were too much for only two cars. And none of the others was in a state good enough to drive, and But and Carole would be worried and-

Rachel took a deep breath, focusing on the road like she never had while in a car before. She had to stay calm. At least long enough to get to her house safely. To get everyone two or three blankets, hot chocolate, a funny movie.

And maybe then she would let herself go too.

* * *

"We're here, girls."

"Thanks Rach. I… Do you think we could just enter and… Sit down? We're all… pretty exhausted. You are too."

Quinn was whispering, and her voice was weak and tired. Lauren took her by the shoulders and helped her get out of the car, Mercedes and Tina behind them.

She didn't even think before nodding, and they all entered the house without any further discussion.

Tina and Mercedes immediately crashed on the couch, still holding onto one another, while Lauren sat at the other and, Quinn almost cuddling on her side, both wearing a lost look on their face. They just stayed there, waiting.

Rachel heard some noises on the kitchen.

"Rachel, you're home? Wait a second honey, we'll get back with hot chocolate."

"Girls, there's some blankets behind the couch. What movie would you like to see?"

"Oh, and Quinn, we called your mother. You can stay here for the weekend if you want."

Rachel, even though she suddenly felt all the stress of the day coming back to her, couldn't help herself. She got up and hugged her dads like she never had before.

"Well, was is it, little Star?"

"You're the best."

She loved them _so much_.

* * *

"Lauren, do you want… to talk about it?"

"There's nothing to talk about, Miss Perfect."

"… You know… I don't even know what I wrote on that shirt."

The ex-Cheerio was whispering. She didn't even know why she was saying all of that. To the girl who just destroyed her life, none less. But she didn't feel like stopping right now.

She _needed_ to tell it to someone.

"At first, I just wanted to write about 'Lucy'. But this assignment… It was so stupid. I know what Schuester waited for. He thought we were going to write so bullshit, something everyone knew about us, and that we would go on after that."

She sighed, sitting against the couch's back

"It's always like that with him. He thinks a song can fix everything. He thinks that everything in high school is just about Glee Club. But its _not_. We all know that."

Quinn felt like crying.

"When I made the shirt, I thought about my mother. But I know what I really meant. Beth isn't mine any more. I know that. I know she will never be. I failed her too many times for that. But… I miss her, Lauren."

She was crying now.

"I miss my little baby."

Lauren never answered, but she never felt Quinn's side either.

* * *

Mercedes and Tina discussed their own problems. Mercedes would couldn't bear her own reflection. Tina who couldn't even sleep any more. Mercedes who needed Kurt to remind her that she deserved to be, everyday. Tina who desperately tried to forgive herself for everything. Mercedes and Tina who could only stay together to remind themselves that someone was still there for them.

* * *

They all ended up sleeping on the couch, holding onto one another.

Rachel's dads didn't say anything.

But they made sure, the following morning, that each girl came home with a psychiatrist number and some hugs, at least.


End file.
